UNITED NATIONS: The organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) has called for self-determination in Kashmir after Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and chairman of All Party Hurriyet Conference Mirwaiz Mohammed Umar Farooq questioned the le intimacy of the just held assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir. Both made allegations of repression and human tight violations by the Indian security forces and said election were no solution to the issue. Bhutto also alleged that India’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs together with development of blue water navy and nuclear powered submarines are posing threat to the stability of the region “from Yemen to the Straits of Malacca.” “The world cannot remain indifferent to the rise of a fundamentalist Hindu India bent on producing and deploying nuclear capable missiles,” she said.
Kashmir and India’s nuclear program were the only subjects she mentioned in her speech and avoided any reference to Afghani Stan where fundamentalist Taliban have taken control of two thirds of the country with the support of Pakistani Army. Several Islamic ions have severe differences Pakistan on this issue. Bhutto, who met UN Secretary General
Boutros Boutros Ghali, immediately after addressing OIC meeting spoke in similar vein there, Sources said. “The electoral misadventures, the economic pack ages, greater autonomy and also the wanton use of force by. Indian authorities, have neither produced a solution in the past nor will this break the nerve of Kashmiris in future,” Mirwaiz Farooq said. But while Bhutto called for solution based on the Security Councilresolutions, Mirwaiz Farooq demanded “Tripartite peaceful negotiations” between India, Pakistan and the “4J_.timate leader ship of the people of Kashmir.” Observers note that the two statements made within an hour of each other in the OIC ministerial level meeting revealed the major sticking point between Pakistan and Hurriyet leadership. Calling just concluded Assembly elections “phony”, “Sham’’ and “coerced”, Bhutto said the final determination should be made through as curtaining the will of the people through “democratic method of a free and impartial plebiscite con ducted under the United Nations auspices.” “India had tried to divert world attention by initiating a so-called political process by holding sham elections.” Bhutto told Muslim diplomats during the meeting of the Organization of the Islamic Conference. “But the presence of over 600,000 military and paramilitary forces, the continuation of repressive laws, the failure to initiate a dialogue with the all parties conference, or to release hundreds of activists shows how hollow even the so-called political process is.” she added. Bhutto spoke before the annual gathering of minister’s form the Muslim countries to discuss issues affecting Islamic nations. The ministers are in New York for the annual debate of the UN General Assembly. Following their meeting, the Muslim ministers issued a Statement urging India to “respect the human rights of their Kashmiris including their right to self-determination.”
The OIC ministers also declared that elections held “under foreign apation” cannot be a substitute for “the right of self-determination” of the Kashmiris. It also called for a peaceful settlement of the crisis and endorsed “the ongoing efforts by the Government of Pakistan to seek a peaceful solution” and called on India “to reciprocate.” Most of the meeting was closed to journalists, but they were allowed to hear Bhutto’s speech.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 9, 1996
